Fish on the BBQ — How Do Different Cultures Do It?

Misoyaki — fish marinated and grilled with miso — is the most refined Japanese heat-cooked fish preparation. Salmon, cod, or mackerel is marinated for 24–48 hours in a mixture of white miso, mirin, and sake. The marinade penetrates deep into the fish flesh and caramelizes on the grill to a lacquered, umami-rich crust. See also miso as a BBQ glaze for the basic recipe.

Shioyaki is the minimalist counterpart: fish is simply sprinkled with coarse salt and grilled directly over high heat. Mackerel, eel (unagi), and snapper are prepared this way. The skin lightly chars, and the salt draws moisture to the surface, creating a light crust. No rub, no marinade — just salt and fire.

• Misoyaki: Marinate 24–48 hours, grill over medium-indirect heat, miso burns quickly
• Shioyaki: Coarse salt, direct heat, skin-side down, 4–6 min per side

Cooking on a cedar plank is a technique originally from the indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest coast — the Scandinavian variant (laxplanka) closely aligns with this. An untreated cedar plank is soaked in water for 1–2 hours, placed on the BBQ, and the salmon is cooked on top of it. The wood slowly smokes, releasing a gentle cedar aroma and protecting the fish from direct heat.

The result: salmon that remains tender and moist inside, with a light smoky aroma without drying out or sticking to the grill. No fats needed — the wood does the work.

• Technique: Indirect heat, lid closed, 20–25 min at 180°C
• Seasoning: Dill, lemon, coarse salt — Scandinavian minimalist
• Smoke profile: Soft, resinous — suits fatty fish

In the Mediterranean tradition — Greece, Italy, Spain — fish is prepared as simply as possible: a whole sea bass, sea bream, or mackerel is rubbed with olive oil, stuffed with lemon and fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano), and grilled directly over high heat. No complex marinade, no glaze.

The whole fish protects itself: the skin acts as a barrier, and the flesh cooks in its own juices. The trick is to grease the grill well and only flip the fish when the skin releases from the grate — if it still sticks, it's not ready yet.

• Technique: Direct heat, 5–8 min per side, high temperature
• Seasoning: Olive oil, lemon, thyme, garlic — inside and out
• Fish: Sea bass, sea bream, mackerel, sardines

Samak mashwi — literally "grilled fish" in Arabic — is a dish in Levantine cuisine where whole fish is marinated in a mixture of sumac, za'atar, garlic, olive oil, and lemon, and grilled directly over charcoal. The sumac provides the characteristic acidity that cuts through the fish flesh, while za'atar adds herbs.

In Lebanon and Palestine, grilled fish is traditionally served with tarator — a sauce made from tahini, lemon, and garlic — and fresh parsley. The combination of smoked fish, sour sumac, and creamy tahini creates a flavor profile unlike any other.

• Marinade: Sumac, za'atar, lemon, garlic, olive oil — 30–60 min
• Fish: Snapper, mackerel, sea bream
• Serve with: Tarator (tahini-lemon sauce), parsley